Theophilus London - I Stand Alone

No doubt about it: when it comes to busting genre boundaries, Theophilus London is a breed apart. Having drawn extensively from soul, hip-hop, funk, electro and indie thus far in his burgeoning career (more than many manage in an entire career), the Brooklyn repper expands his sound yet further on the latest single off his freshman set. I Stand Alone finds Jokke (of The Teddybears) introducing pop-rock/New Wave elements behind the boards, layering keyboard arpeggios and overdriven guitar over a driving backbeat as Theophilus vents his anguish regarding… well, I’m not entirely certain. Though his abstract lyrics, riddled with off-kilter imagery (“The rain is phenomenal, the way that it falls / Slam it down like a domino and lay in the moss.”) and paradoxical pronouncements (“If this war doesn’t end, there’s nothing left to fight.”), are as ambiguous it gets, the overall package is fresh, moody and energizing. Craving more eclectic bangers? Then be sure to cop Theophilus London’s debut studio album, Timez Are Weird These Days, when it drops July 19, via Warner Bros.